Video: The Key to Success? Grit by Angela Lee Duckworth

I am currently in the process of reading Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman. Daniel Goleman argues that our view of intelligence, more specifically IQ, is too narrow. Instead, Goleman makes the case for "emotional intelligence" that refer to qualities as self-awareness, altruism, personal motivation, empathy, and the ability to love and be loved by friends, partners, and family members.

Along the same lines, Angela Lee Duckworth points out that one characteristic that is a significant predictor of success is grit. Grit is having perseverance and passion for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina not just for a week, or a month, but for years and working really hard to make the future a reality.

Duckworth and her research team went to the West Point Military Academy, the National Spelling Bee, Sales Organizations, and School Districts to try to predict which members in these organizations would succeed and who would drop out or lose out based on the grit questionnaire they developed.

Duckworth doesn't offer advice on how to improve grit. I think that will be hard. But, she suggest that we need to test our best ideas over and over again until we have found the right mix that works.In other words, she suggests us to be gritty about our kids.